Coming up for Air to Manage Patients With Severe Asthma

Faculty

Ian Pavord, MBBS, MA, DM, FRCP, FERS, FmedSci
Professor of Respiratory Medicine
Group Head, Oxford Respiratory
National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre
Nuffield Department of Medicine
Oxford, England

Klaus F. Rabe, MD, PhD
Professor of Pulmonary Medicine
University of Kiel
Kiel, Germany
Director, Department of Pneumology
Clinic Grosshansdorf
Grosshansdorf, Germany

Statement of Need

Disorders involving inflammation or tissue remodeling in the respiratory tract are responsible for significant burdens on patient health and health care systems.^1,2 Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that affects more than 339 million people globally.³ An outsized segment of asthma-related morbidity and mortality is borne by the 5% to 15% of patients who have more severe forms of the disease.^4-6 Research has uncovered key pathophysiologic processes and other clinical parameters related to asthma severity and persistence.^4,5 As a result, several biologic therapies were developed to treat patients with moderate-to-severe asthma.^7,8 Clinical immunologists/allergists, pulmonologists, and other specialists who manage patients with asthma are increasingly tasked with personalizing the choice of treatment based on severity of symptoms, presence of comorbidities, and disease phenotypes and endotypes. Thus, clinicians must be vigilant about staying current on the latest clinical data, treatment recommendations, and international guidelines, including the GINA report⁵. During this Point-of-Care™ educational activity, expert faculty translate evidence-based management strategies and real-world experience into actionable best-practice recommendations that can shape therapeutic decision-making and improve outcomes for patients with moderate-to-severe asthma.

References

1. Lang DM. Allergy Asthma Proc. 2015;36(6):418-424.
2. Global Asthma Network. http://www.globalasthmanetwork.org/.
3. World Health Organization (WHO). Asthma Fact Sheet. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/asthma. 
4. Chung KF, et al. Eur Respir J. 2014;43(2):343-373.
5. Global Initiative for Asthma. Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention, 2020. www.ginasthma.org.
6. Levy ML. Breathe (Sheff). 2015;11(1):14-24.
7. Assaf SM, Hanania NA. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol. 2019;19(4):379-386.
8. Krings JG, et al. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2019;7(5):1379-1392.

Target Audience

The educational design of this activity addresses the needs of international allergists, pulmonologists, and other clinicians involved in the ongoing management of patients with severe asthma.

Educational Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

1. Discuss asthma pathophysiology, including Th2-mediated processes and clinically relevant treatment targets
2. Evaluate patients with severe asthma for symptom control and disease phenotypes
3. Describe the clinical profiles and prescribing considerations for biologic therapies in the treatment of severe asthma
4. Construct evidence-based treatment regimens for patients with severe asthma to reflect symptoms, exacerbation risks, comorbidities, and treatment responses
5. Communicate with patients with severe asthma to provide disease state education and promote shared decision-making

Physician Accreditation Statement

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of Global Education Group (Global) and Integritas Communications. Global is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Physician Credit Designation

Global Education Group designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Reciprocity

European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (EACCME)

The European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS)-EACCME^® and the American Medical Association (AMA) have recognized each other’s CME credits since 2000. In 2002 the UEMS-EACCME^® and the AMA signed an agreement of mutual recognition of CME credits between Europe and the USA whereby European physicians attending an event in the USA have their credits recognized in Europe and American physicians attending an event in Europe have their credits recognized in the USA.

Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada

Activities held outside of Canada developed by a university, academy, specialty society, or other physician organization can be recorded as accredited group learning activities under Section 1 of the Royal College of Physician and Surgeons of Canada’s Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Program.

Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest

Global Education Group (Global) requires instructors, planners, managers, and other individuals and their spouses/life partners who are in a position to control the content of this activity to disclose any real or apparent conflict of interest they may have as related to the content of this activity. All identified conflicts of interest are thoroughly vetted by Global for fair balance, scientific objectivity of studies mentioned in the materials or used as the basis for content, and appropriateness of patient care recommendations.

The faculty reported the following financial relationships or relationships to products or devices they or their spouses/life partners have with commercial interests related to the content of this CME activity:

Ian Pavord, MBBS, MA, DM, FRCP, FERS, FMedSci: Consultant/Independent Contractor: AstraZeneca, GSK, Sanofi/Regeneron and Teva, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Chiesi; Honoraria: AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Aerocrine, Almirall, Novartis, Teva, Chiesi, Sanofi/Regeneron, Menarini and GSK; Advisory Board: Genentech, Sanofi/Regeneron, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, GSK, Novartis, Teva, Merck, Circassia, Chiesi and Knopp; Grant/Research Support: Chiesi; Other: Payments to support FDA approval meetings from GSK; Co-patent holder of the rights to the Leicester Cough Questionnaire and has received payments for its use in clinical trials from Merck, Bayer and Insmed; Expert witness for a patent dispute involving AstraZeneca and Teva.

Klaus F. Rabe, MD, PhD: Consultant/Independent Contractor: AstraZeneca, Regeneron, Sanofi. Honoraria: AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, Regeneron, Sanofi.

The planners and managers reported the following financial relationships or relationships to products or devices they or their spouses/life partners have with commercial interests related to the content of this CME activity:

Lindsay Borvansky: Nothing to disclose
Andrea Funk: Nothing to disclose
Liddy Knight: Nothing to disclose
Ashley Cann: Nothing to disclose
Rose O’Connor, PhD, CHCP: Nothing to disclose
Celeste Collazo, MD: Nothing to disclose

Instructions to Receive Credit

In order to receive credit for this activity, the participant must score 75% or better on the posttest and complete the program evaluation.

Fee Information & Refund/Cancellation Policy

There is no fee for this educational activity.

Global Contact Information

For information about the accreditation of this program, please contact Global at 303-395-1782 or cme@globaleducationgroup.com.

Disclosure of Unlabeled Use

This educational activity may contain discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the US Food and Drug Administration. Global Education Group (Global) and Integritas Communications do not recommend the use of any agent outside of the labeled indications.

The opinions expressed in the educational activity are those of the faculty and do not necessarily represent the views of any organization associated with this activity. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings.

Disclaimer

Participants have an implied responsibility to use the newly acquired information to enhance patient outcomes and their own professional development. The information presented in this activity is not meant to serve as a guideline for patient management. Any procedures, medications, or other courses of diagnosis or treatment discussed in this activity should not be used by clinicians without evaluation of patient conditions and possible contraindications or dangers in use, review of any applicable manufacturer’s product information, and comparison with recommendations of other authorities.